


Crowned Golden Flowers Upon a Blue Field

by Not So (Silberias)



Category: The Borgias (2011)
Genre: F/M, Gen, no Borgiacest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 02:49:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1493848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silberias/pseuds/Not%20So
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if instead of arms of castles and lions, Lucrezia Borgia took up the flowered flag of the King of France in 1498?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crowned Golden Flowers Upon a Blue Field

He left Naples in a fury, the rest of his retinue struggling to keep up with him. He would break this engagement whatever it took—and he knew that there was a French alliance in it for him if he played his cards right. The French ambassador was due to have arrived just a day after his departure for Naples. A voice cautioned him in the back of his mind—do not become the hot-head that Juan had, keep your hatred under control. Be your father’s son but also remember to be your mother’s.

Though his father was easily blinded by gloating over his own plots, there was a weak spot in the pope’s armor. His first grandson, Giovanni, and the boy’s wellbeing. Naples would never be able to properly deny the claims he would level against them, not when he was four hours ahead of his sister’s whining pint of a duke. He smirked, then, _especially_ because of the whining duke his sister had picked. The boy could not even put together a sentence regarding Lucrezia’s son.

When Cesare arrived in Rome, he sought out the French ambassador first before his father.

“You’ve come to Rome to pledge France’s loyalty to the papacy, what else?”

The Duke of Aquitaine hmm’d into his wine at this before beginning in a practiced, delicate tone. Cesare well knew the voice as one telling half-truths to further their own political games. For all that such things sometimes infuriated him, he appreciated it this one time in fullness.

“There is the matter of the king’s unhappy marriage. Sixteen years married and not even a stillborn to show for it. The queen is ignorant of her own shame, but this is only because her station prevents such talk from reaching her ears. She would surely be happier living a life of reflection in a nunnery, leaving my king to turn his mind towards the wellbeing of his kingdom.”

“He would need a wife, surely, to be confident of such wellbeing,” Cesare said, pouring himself a cup of wine. The ambassador watched him in silence as he sat, settling into the seat for what might become a long talk. Luckily, though, he was dealing with a more reasonable man than the pauper king of Naples.

“You must know, my lord, that the king has several bastards from women he looked to in his grief over the lack of a son. He holds no dislike, nor even begrudging forgiveness, for bastards. Or,” Cesare felt the game turn then, in his sister’s favor for the first time in forever, “for the mothers of bastards.”

“Of course such a marriage to, let us say, the mother of a beloved bastard would need assurance that the king of France was not being given chaff.”

“A pair of marriages, perhaps,” Cesare said, knowing he was bartering himself without his father’s permission. He would damn his father’s wishes to hell if only to protect the man as well as the rest of his family. His sister might be a princess of a dying Italian kingdom, or she might be the queen of one of the most powerful states of Europe. She was also not afflicted by the curse of a barren womb.

“Ah, yes a pair of marriages,” his companion intoned as though pondering the idea for the first time, “you know my king and I share a cousin between us. She has tired of court life, but her father hesitates on making a match for her.”

“There are no such courts in Rome, which I’m sure you have noticed, my lord.” With a genuine, knowing smile, the Duke of Aquitaine nodded at Cesare’s words and responded in kind.

“I have. Perhaps we might present the contents of this conversation to our Holy Father for his consideration? Ah—but how rude of me. How did you find Naples? Your sister is to marry a prince of theirs soon, no?”

“I found Naples to be sapped of strength. No doubt the doing of the Spanish, and no place for my dearest sister to be taken to by marriage. But forgive me my rambling, ambassador, I must speak with my father. Please join us for supper though, tonight if it please you.”

**Author's Note:**

> No more fic than the above but yeah. Just a thought I got from the super speculative look that the Duke of Aquitaine gave Lucrezia at her wedding before he had a chat with Cesare. History would have been very different perhaps, yes?
> 
>  
> 
> *...also the idea that the King of France would be totes cool with baby Gio is made up, I've got no basis for that even a bit. BUT his marriage was annulled in 1498 AND Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso de Aragona took place in 1498. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.


End file.
